the competition is paying off for consumers…
I don’t know what it is, perhaps it’s the renewed confidence from the warming economies of the world or perhaps we’re just now experiencing the benefits of products that had a long development lead time… but whatever it is the current photography market is finally getting some much-needed spice. There are new and intriguing products being released at a good clip right now and I’m loving it.
Sigma in particular has really been meeting and beating people’s expectations with their new (ish) approach to lens making. With their switch to Contemporary, Sport, and Art stylings for their lenses they’ve simply been on a tear… apparently offering people high quality things at mid quality prices is a winning strategy… go figure.
And the fun continues, Sigma is now adding to their lens lines with 4 new lenses! Weeeeee!
The first lens is a new addition to the Art line, an ultra-wide lens seemingly built to maximize clarity.
Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM Art
Debuting the world’s first 1.8 wide-angle lens, the 14mm F1.8 Art incorporates the same groundbreaking aspherical element as Sigma’s critically acclaimed 12-24mm F4 Art. Boasting outstanding image quality from center to edge, the 14mm F1.8 Art features the largest glass mold (80mm) in the industry, offering photographers an ultra-wide prime with virtually no distortion, flare or ghosting. Three lens elements are made with FLD (“F” Low Dispersion) glass, which is equivalent to calcium fluorite in performance, and four SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements, which reduce chromatic aberration. In addition to the great IQ from edge to edge, the new 14mm F1.8 offers a superfast and efficient AF system.
With a minimum focus distance of 10.6 inches at 14mm, photographers can compose incredible close-up shots with expansive backgrounds.
The next new lens, at an already existing focal length in the Art series, is the 24 – 70mm zoom lens. I’m not sure how well this one will sell since it isn’t exactly the most unique of lenses is it…
Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG HSM OS Art
Featuring a brand new OS and highly efficient and fast AF system, the revamped 24-70mm F2.8 Art embodies all the technical qualities and finesse that define the high-performance Sigma Global Vision Art series. Covering a wide range of shooting scenarios, the 24-70mm workhorse DNA includes three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements and four aspherical elements to reduce chromatic aberration. The 24-70mm F2.8 Art aspherical elements use Sigma’s groundbreaking thicker center glass design and highly precise polishing process, delivering stunning images and bokeh effects. The lens’ purpose-built structure boasts a new metal barrel for optimal durability with TSC composite internal moving components designed to resist thermal contraction and expansion.
Then the Art line gets big! With a 135mm prime lens! And while bigger obviously isn’t necessarily better, a 135mm lens can afford photographers with some interesting shooting capabilities. I honestly am a fan of having big hunks of ultra clear glass on my camera that weigh a ton and a half… but that’s just me.
Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art
Boasting outstanding sharpness and great IQ from edge to edge, the 135mm F1.8 Art lens enters the market as Sigma’s new premiere mid-range telephoto prime lens. Ideal for events such as concerts, indoor sports, conferences and press events, the 1.8 F-stop delivers greater “shallow depth of field” and isolation of subjects. The outstanding compression effect makes it equally as powerful for up-close and full-length portraits. Its new large hyper sonic motor (HSM) provides ample torque to the focus group for optimal speed while the acceleration sensor detects the position of the lens for compensation focus groups for factors including gravity, producing faster and more responsive AF. Equipped with a focus limiter, the 135mm F1.8 Art can be easily optimized for a variety of distances and situations.
But not to be left out of the fun, there’s a new Contemporary lens as well! And it’s another big-un. A 100 – 400mm zoom lens this time that’s supposed to be lightweight and versatile. If it’s priced right and really is a nice weight I feel like this lens could end up being a long-term hit.
Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG HSM OS Contemporary
Boasting outstanding reach and performance value, the new 100-400mm F5-6.3 Contemporary telephoto zoom lens offers great IQ and usability with its lightweight, compact, dust- and splash-proof design. Equipped with the newly released Sigma OS and AF, the lens provides exceptional performance at lower shutter speeds. Highly versatile, the 100-400mm F5-6.3 Contemporary also features Sigma’s unique macro function (1:3.8 ratio) for perfecting close-ups and distance shots, and push/pull focal zooming for ease of use.
Press release here: https://www.sigmaphoto.com/article/sigma-unveils-new-products-at-cp-plus/?link=feb-M-cpplus/
I just love when the world gets new tools honestly… it doesn’t even matter that I’m probably not going to get any of them. I’m just glad that people have the option to have their needs met.
Lens Mount Compatibility
Oh and about compatibility… The lenses will be available in Canon, Nikon, and Sigma mounts.
The MC-11, Sigma’s official adapter for mounting Canon lenses onto Sony E mount cameras does not currently list support for these news lenses (at the time of this writing) or some of the more recent additions like the 85mm prime Art lens.
However, I have asked Sigma if they’re going to update compatibility for the adapter… and have now been told that all of the Art, Sport and Contemporary lenses in Canon mount are already compatible with the MC-11. They’ll update their public information shortly to reflect this fact.
Which ultimately means that all of Sigma’s newer lenses can in fact be used on Sony E mount cameras… yay!